LEAD SERVICE LINE INVENTORY (LSLI) REQUIREMENTS: WHAT WATER SYSTEMS NEED TO KNOW
About Lead in Drinking Water
Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new home construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act. However, in some older homes, services lines which are connected to the water mains may be made of lead. In addition, some faucets and plumbing fixtures in homes built before 1986 may also be made of lead.
Lead can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels – especially in children. Exposure to lead can cause adverse effects such as damage to the brain and nervous system and slowed growth and development.
About the Federal Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) Requirements for Water Systems
Knowing where lead pipes are located is critical to replacing them efficiently. Every public or private water system which serves water to over 15 service connections across the country will be required to provide an initial inventory of their water service lines to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by October 16, 2024, through their state regulatory agency. State regulatory agencies are very proactive in helping communities meet these requirements.
As such, representatives from your local water service provider or municipality may be visiting households to assess whether or not certain homes have lead service lines if they don’t have an accurate record of the service material. This inventory would be publicly accessible and offer homeowners a way to find out if they have a lead service line. This inventory is NOT an indication that you have lead in your water.
PLEASE NOTE: The requirement to complete a Lead Service Line Inventory DOES NOT apply to transient non-community water systems (TNCWS) or bottled, vended, retail, or bulk hauling (BVRB) water systems.
Why the Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) is Important
This initiative is an important first step in ensuring every family across the country has access to clean drinking water – as the EPA’s goal is to replace 100% of the nation’s lead pipes and service lines within 10 years.
In addition, surveying service lines and determining which are made of lead or galvanized pipe is a pivotal process in which water systems must undertake to secure government funding in order to reduce the cost burden on homeowners.
Cooperation between homeowners and local water service provider or municipalities will be an essential part of the process to protect public health, in particular the health of children and of vulnerable communities.
More Information & State-Specific Resources
For more information about Lead & Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) and the Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) check out these federal and state-specific resources:
- Nationwide (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
- Connecticut (CT Department of Public Health)
- Maine (ME Drinking Water Program)
- Massachusetts (MassDEP)
- New Hampshire (NH Department of Environmental Services)
- New Jersey (NJ Department of Environmental Protection)
- New York (NY Department of Health)
- Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania DEP)
- Puerto Rico (PR Department of Health)
- Rhode Island (RI Department of Public Health)
- U.S. Virgin Islands (Water and Power Authority)
- Vermont (VT Department of Environmental Conservation)
If you are interested in receiving complimentary technical assistance for you water or wastewater system, please visit Our Services by State page and select your state or territory to view regional contact information.